Elevator guide



April 19, 1932. BRADY 1,854,976

ELEVATORGUIDE Filed April 12, 1930 BY am; .5 ATTORNEY 45 z 4 22 s g E l 54 3 5 2 45 so i as 4 2 Q p I an r 4W @MQ/ \NVENTOR the surfaces of the guides are maintained in .third lug is formed on the plate at the end 7 Patented Apr. 19, 1932 1,854,976-

UNITED. STATES PATENT; OFFICE 'IEOHLS BRA Y, OF EAST OM63, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO OTfS ELEVATOR COH- PA, 01 NEW YORK, 1131., A CORPORATION OF NEW ELEVATOR GUIDE I Application filed April 18, 1980. serial I0. 3,8111.

The invention relates to 'des and parapparent from the specification, taken in conticularly to-guides for the movable bodies of nection with the accompanym drawings elevator installations. wherein one embodiment of the invention is In the elevator art it is desirable to proillustrated.

5 vide guides on the elevator car and counter- The invention will be described as em- 55 weight for cooperating with guide rails in ployed for guiding an elevator car in its the hatchway to guide the car'and countermovement 'n the elevator hatchway. Acweight in their movement in the hatchway. cording to the embodiment of the invention It is also desirable to reduce the friction and to be described, a pair of T-shaped guide wear arising from contact of the guides with rails, extending throughoutthe height of the co the guide rails upon movement of the car and hatchway, are provided for the car. Guides, counterweight. The application of lubrimounted at each end ofthe top and bottom cant to the guide rails is found helpful in cross membersof the car sling, are arrang reducing such friction. to cooperate with the guide rails to guide In the event of misalinement of the guide the car in its movement in the hatchway. 65 rails, or rockin or canting of the car, 1t Each ide comprises a plate having a slot may be desirab e to lessen the friction by into w icli the guiding {portion of the guide other means. This may be effected, for exrail extends. A pair 0 lugs are formed on ample, by employing flexible guides in which the plate at opposite sides of the slot and a yielding contact with the iding surfaces of of the slot. A bellcrank is pivotally supthe rails and in which t e (pressure 0 the ported by each lug and carries a-roller for guides against the rails is istributed subengaging one ofthe guiding surfacesof the stantially uniformly over the contacting surid il, A i g i t d ith e h faces. The present invention is directed to b ll c k bi th corresponding ll t '75 such flexible guides. rolling engagement with the guide rail. The

A. feature of the present invention is a arrangement is such that each spring mainflexible guide, for a movable body of an tains the corresponding roller. 1n yielding elevator system, having a plurality of 1n engagement with the guide rail so that there so pe den g ide m m ers for coope ing i is substantially uniformly distributed presso the guiding surfaces of the guide rail W sure on any contacting surfaces at all times which the guide is associated. irrespective if any irregularities that may ex- A second feature resides in maintaining a i t i th alineme t f th guide rail, 11 ide m m f a g i e Carried y 3 W- the event of misalignment of the guide rail,

able body, in yielding engagement Wltl} 0116 the roller which asses over the point of dis- 85 of the guiding surfaces of the guide placement moves relatively to the guide plate thebody independently of other similar guide to compensate for the irregularity without members of the same guide which cooperate t tti hd k t th l tor ear, with the other guiding surfaces of the guide Al ti or king of the r, uch as 40 rail. might result from uneven distribution of A third feature iS the I Vi I} 0f 81 W-t the load in the car, is compensated for by able guide member which is yi lding y m movement of the bell cranks, toward or away tained in rolling engagement with one of the f th guid il about their pivots, so

iding surfaces of a guide rail. as to maintain the guide rollers in contact A fourth feature is a flexible guide having with the guide rails at all times. Thus a a plurality of independent rotata'ble guide substantially constant, pressure of th e guide members which are independently biased into rollers is obtained, minimizing fr ction and rolling engagement with the guiding surfaces wear and the poss'bihty of gouging of the of a guide rail. guide rails. Suitable stops are also provid- Other features and advantages will become ed on the plate for limiting the movement of v the bell cranks and rollers by or against the forceof their biasing springs.

In the drawings Fi re 1 is a schematic view of an elevator instafl dtion showing an elevator car embodying the guiding'means of the present invention' Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the guides, which is shown in cooperative relation with the uide rail;

Figure 3 is a front view of the gulde shown in Figure 2, the guide rail being omitted but i the guide rollers being shown spaced to re ceive the rail; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged s de view of one of the ides carried by the car, the gmde ra1l also eing shown.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 21 designates an elevator car carriedby a car sling 22 to which hoisting roping is secured for raising and lowering, the car in thehatchway. Guide rails 24 for the car are provided in the hatchway. The guide rails shown are T-shapedand have side surfaces 25 and an end surface 26 for cooperation with guides 27, mounted on the upper and lower cross members of the car slin to guide the car in its movement in the hate way. As the guides 27 are of identicalconstruction only a single guigce -and the operationthereof will be descr' d in detail. I

Ateferringto Figures 2, 3 and 4, a plate 30 secured to the car sling 22 is provided with a slot 31 into which the guide rail extends, 35 clearances being provided between the side and end surfaces of the guide rail and the Apair of In 32 are formed on plate 30 and are locate preferably in facing relation, at opposite sides of slot 31. The lugs 32 support studs 34 which extend through openings in the bifurcations 35 of the arms 36 of bell cranks 37 and serve as pivots for the, bell cranks. Studs 40, supported by .the bifurcations 35, constitute stub shafts on which non-metallic rollers 41, positioned between the bifurcations,

are rotatably mounted. The rollers 41 are provided with suitable bushings 39.

Springs 43 mounted between bosses on plate and adjustable stops 45,- carried by angular portions 46 of the bell cranks, act to bias the rollers 41 into yielding engagement with the side surfaces 25 of the guide rail. Studs 47, passing freely through the bell cranks, are threaded into plate 30. The studs 47 are threaded throughout their length and are provided with nuts 48 and 50 which serve as stops for limiting the movement of the bell cranks by and against the force of their springs.

A lug 51 formed on plate 30 at the end of crank 52 carrying a slot 31 sufpports abell roller 53 or engaging the end surface 26 of also provided I the guide rail. Bell crank 52 is wit a biasing spring 54 and limit stops, the

arrangement being similar to that of the bell guide rail is ment, the rollers move relatively to guide e rail.

plate 30 to'compensate for the misalignment of the rail as thelr supporting bell cranks pivot on the guide plate. Assume, for example, that t e displacement of the guide rail is in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 2. When the rollers pass over the point at which the rail is displaced, the bell crank 37 carrying the roller 41 ing surface 25 in the direction of displacement moves clockwise compressing the associated spring while the spring associated with the bell crank 37 carrymg-the roller 41 engaging to turn roller in engagement with the guiding surengaging the guid- Upon A the rollers roll along the opposite guiding surface 25 acts the bell crank for maintaining the face of the rail. Thus, both rollers are maintained in proper engagement with the rail.

In the event that the guide rail is displaced endwise, for example in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 4, tively to plate 30 to compensate for the mis- 'gn'ment. As the roller 53 passes over the point of displacement, the bell crank 52 moves about its pivotal mounting, compressing the spring 54. Such movement of hell crank 52 permits roller 53 mg engagement with the end face is maintained.

It is to be noted that with the rollers yieldmg in this manner as they pass over a joint in the rails where a misalignment shock is transmitted to the car.

The bell cranks carrying the ,guide rollers also move relatively to the guide'plates to compensate for rocking or canting of the car, such as might be caused by an uneven distribution of the load in the car. As a result, the guide rollers are maintained in rolling engagement with the guiding surfaces of the guide rail at all times to insure proper guiding of the car.

Each of the biasing springs for the rollers maintains its respective roller in engagement with the guide rail independently of theother guide rollers and the movement of each roller supporting bell crank, by or against the force of the respective biasing s ring, compensate for irregularities is independent ov t oreover, the pressure with which rollers are maintained in contact guide rail guiding surto yield so that properrolL- exists no evenly distributed over the conthe roller 53 moves relae'movement of the other bell cranks.

tactingsurfaces. Thus, the movement of the bell' 'icranks to compensate either for irregularities in the alignment of the guide rails, or rocking or cantmg of the car as above described, minimizes friction and wear of the contacting surfaces of the guide rails and guide rollers.

Although the limit stops are shown as ad justed to provide a clearance between the stops and bell cranks for permitting movement of the roller supporting bell cranks in either direction relatively to plate to compensate for irregularities in the alignment of the guide rails, it is to be understood that other adjustments of the stops may be made if desired. For example, stops 48 may be adjusted so that there is normally no clearance between these stops and the bell cranks and so that a slight clearance is provided between the rollers and the guiding surfaces of the rail. In the event of irregularities in the guide rail or lateral movement of the car with this arrangement, one or more of the rollers engage the corresponding guiding surfaces and, being rotatably mounted, guide the car with a minimum of friction. The bell cranks carrying these rollers may also move against the force of the biasing springs to compensate for irregularities in the rail or lateral movement of the car.

Although the guide rollers have been described as being non-metallic, it is to be understood that metallic rollers may be employed if desired. 'llheguidarollersvmayflf.

i fiflhheprolided with, soundwde adening such as QlidlQLPn -nma iclrubber iL hhlel faz.rbsar n" Uii ri-v {eating devices therefor may lso hejprovid;

a es w ff l'.lQQYQQiILPhQ atch-.

'llie application of a lubricant, such as oil, to the guide rails is rendered unnecessary by the employment of roller guides carried by the car. This factor causes the roller guides to be particularly suitable for use in high buildings, and is also of advantage in connection with the operation of safety mechanism carried by the car and cooperating with 30 the guide rails to bring the car to rest under emergency conditions. Inasmuch as it is unnecessary to lubricate the guide rails, the effectiveness of the safety mechanism is increased since the safety jaws, or other elements of the safety mechanism which are arranged to cooperate with the guide rails, do not have to cut through a film of lubricant on the rails in order to stop the car.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be LAG-l I III IV interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In an elevator installation; a hatchway; a body movable therein; a guide rail in said hatchway for said movable body; a support carried by said body; a plurality of rollers, one for each of the guiding surfaces of the guide rail, said rollers rolling upon their respective guiding surfaces to guide said body in its movement in said hatchway; a support for each roller, said supports being pivotally mounted 011 said first named support; and a spring for each of said rollers, said springs acting through said supports to maintain their corresponding rollers in yielding rolling engagementwith said guiding surfaces.

2. In an elevator installation; a hatchway; a body movable in said hatchway; a guide rail in said hatchway for said body, said 8v guide rail having oppositely disposed side guiding surfaces and an end guiding surface; a guide roller for each guiding surface; a bell crank for each roller, said bell cranks rotatably supporting their respective rollers; a guide plate carried by said body, said guide plate having a slot into which said guide rail extends; a plurality of lugs on said plate, one for each of said bell cranks, said lugs being disposed adjacent the sides of said slot; 5.; means for pivotally connecting one arm of each of said bell cranks to the lug for that bell crank; and a plurality of springs, one for each bell crank, said springs being positioned between the other arms of their respective bell cranks and said plate for biasing said rollers into rolling engagement with their respective guiding surfaces.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS BRADY. 

